The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

WotC Casts ”Enlarge” on D&D Book Prices | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

It's a news roundup this week. Fresh off the heels of sending Pinkertons to hassle someone with pre-release Magic cards, Wizards of the Coast is upping the price of their D&D books! Fortunately, though, Kobold Press' "Tales of the Valiant" Kickstarter launched and it's already clocking in at more than $750,000, so you'll have options if you want to play some mainstream TTRPGs even if you bail on D&D. Also, there's going to be a 24-hour ad-supported D&D streaming service; I thought we already had one called Twitch.
Also, we talk about Robotron and, bizarrely, Bibleman and his connection to D&D.
Finally, from now through June 3, any purchase on our online store will have 30% of its proceeds donated to Richmond Mutual Aid Disaster Relief's free community market.
 
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Catch you all next episode!
LINKS
WotC casts "Enlarge" on book prices, "Reduce" on my interest in buying them!
Tales of the Valiant is well on its way to a $1 million Kickstarter
D&D has a messaging problem, but we all knew that
Ad-supported 24-hour streaming D&D channel. Yay?
 
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If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.

Nations & Cannons, a *Revolutionary* 5E Setting | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

This week we had the treat of an interview with Collyn Messier, the lead rules designer for Nations & Cannons, a new Revolutionary War setting for Fifth Edition. Because of a comedy of errors, it took about five months to schedule this interview and, unfortunately, we weren't able to publish it until just *after* their (highly successful) Kickstarter ended -- but the upside is that you can still pre-order!
Nations & Cannons is a fun spin on regular 5E rules to adapt them to 18th-Century America. It's 99.999999% historical and is even being used as a teaching tool in some schools, but Collyn tells us to keep an eye out for "Benjamin Franklin, Banshee Hunter" as a module in the (not too distant) future.
Name: Collyn Messier Pronouns: They/ThemRole: Lead Rules DeveloperBrief description of your project and what’s unique about it: Your dad(s) and "dad-minded" family/friends will love this historical TTRPG! Nations & Cannons is a D&D 5e historical setting. We've stripped out the magical elements and added rules for black powder firearms, grenades, and cannons. We've added new character creation options that showcase the variety of different peoples and languages spoken in North America in the 18th century, and highlight the contributions of women, people of color, Indigenous Americans, and LGBTQA+ folks often forgotten in history.Links/Social Handles/How or Where to find you: Discord https://www.reddit.com/r/NationsAndCannons/ 
https://www.facebook.com/NationsAndCannonshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiagop5vrYyokVfOgkVPh3A
 
Also! We're into the final week of our big Spring Sale at our Big Cartel store! Most things are 10 percent off and you can use the code "GRAVYBOAT" for free shipping in the continental U.S. We’re trying to make some space to order new merch for the convention season in the fall, so help us thin things out by grabbing some of our shirt designs before we finally retire them. Plus, pick up some awesome indie RPGs from our friend, Brazilian game designer Cezar Capacle. 
SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribeJOIN 800+ GOBLINS ON OUR DISCORD
http://bit.ly/goblindiscord
Catch you all next episode!
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.

D&D Fishing DLC, Pathfinder Remaster, Travels to Neverland | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

It’s a news roundup this week on the Goblins and Growlers Podcast! We’ve got a few nuggets from Wizards of the Coast (including that Pinkerton situation with the pre-release Magic: The Gathering Cards) and a Pathfinder update along with some interesting news from smaller and indie publishers, including a fantastic Kickstarter for a fishing “DLC” for your 5e game.
Also! We have a big Spring Sale going on at our Big Cartel store! Most things are 10 percent off and you can use the code "GRAVYBOAT" for free shipping in the continental U.S. We’re trying to make some space to order new merch for the convention season that begins in the fall, so help us thin things out by grabbing some of our shirt designs before we finally retire them. Plus, pick up some awesome indie RPGs from our friend, Brazilian game designer Cezar Capacle.
 
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TOPICS BELOW:

Part 2: Don’t Let Robots Write Your Games: Leveraging AI in Gaming Content Creation | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Episode Introduction 
Large Language Model AIs like ChatGPT and Bard are revolutionizing the way we create content in basically all sectors of business. We're back for part 2 of our discussion on the responsible use of AI tools for gamemastering and overall content creation for your tabletop games. 
How are you planning to use this tool, and what are your thoughts on the ethics of using AI-generated content for your own games? Let us know at contact@goblinsandgrowlers.com or on Twitter.
Join our Discord: bit.ly/goblindiscord
Links!
OpenAI (the folks that develop Chat-GPT)
Guide to Prompting by Cohere
 
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.

Part 1: Don’t Let Robots Write Your Games: Leveraging AI in Gaming Content Creation | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Episode Introduction 
The internet is abuzz with a variety of different ways to use Large Language Model AIs such as Chat-GPT and Bard. Today our hosts and special guest are going to discuss what the hell "Large Language Model AI" even means, how it's currently used, and how you might use it (ethically!!) to generate content for your at-home TTRPG adventures.
Brandon shares some prompting tips, Tess pontificates on what the near future may hold, and Josh points out why AI will not be running corporate Helpdesk at any point in the near future.
How are you planning to utilize this tool, and what are your thoughts on the morals and ethics of using what is generated to run your own games? Let us know at contact@goblinsandgrowlers.com or on Twitter.
Join our Discord: bit.ly/goblindiscord
Links!
OpenAI (the folks that develop Chat-GPT)
Guide to Prompting by Cohere
 
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.
 

One Dnd Playtesting and Keys from the Golden Vault | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Episode Introduction
First things first: We've launched a new monthly newsletter, the Goblins and Growlers Gazette. Here are your key takeaways: It's got some TTRPG news, indie game recommendations, and some hot takes from our podcasts and elsewhere. Also, showing us you're subscribed will get you 10 percent off our booth merchandise at conventions. It's a quick read and a way for all of us to stay connected a little better. Check it out and sign up here.
Now for the episode: We have a couple of things to talk about today. Josh breaks down the new One DnD Druid and Paladin playtest materials, and then Brandon talks about Wizards of the Coast's most recent D&D release, "Keys from the Golden Vault," a most-excellent heist anthology. You can read Josh's playtest breakdown after the jump at the tail end of these show notes -- a reminder that the feedback survey on these opens today, March 20, 2023.
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Links!
Goblins and Growlers Gazette newsletter sign-up page
One DnD feedback
Keys from the Golden Vault
 
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If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.
 
Read More for the Druid and Paladin playtest materials breakdown:

Dark Sun is Problematic | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Episode Introduction
Is the mere depiction of enslavement enough to classify an entire Dungeons & Dragons setting as problematic? Maybe. Recently there was some low-grade Twitter fire about D&D's "Dark Sun" setting, a fan-favorite from the Second Edition era. The setting is known for being D&D on hard mode -- a mostly barren planet ruled by draconic sorcerer kings who revel in oppression, enslavement, and gladiatorial combat; it's a daily struggle to survive on Athas. 
Wizards of the Coast employee and Dungeons & Dragons executive producer Kyle Brink recently did an interview with Bob the Worldbuilder and, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it mention, he talked about how we're unlikely to see a "Dark Sun" rerelease under Fifth Edition or One D&D because of a lot of the issues inherent to the setting.
It was a brief conversation -- less than 30 seconds because mainly they were talking about he recent OGL debacle -- but it got some folks talking about whether it was appropriate to rerelease "Dark Sun" essentially as is in the current climate. Wizards has gotten a ton of flack lately for their seeming inability to get their arms around the lingering racial issues in their content.
In this episode, we go through some of the original "Dark Sun" book to see how deep those elements run throughout the setting and think about whether the setting can stand on its own without them.
Would "Dark Sun" be unrecognizable if those elements were removed, or are some folks just looking to complain and stir up noise on social media? What do you think about Dark Sun as it is now? Would you enjoy the setting if it were tidied up a bit to incorporate some of the cultural lessons we've learned since its publication? Should it have an essentially unchanged re-release? Let us know at contact@goblinsandgrowlers.com or on Twitter.
Join our Discord: bit.ly/goblindiscord
Links!
Kyle Brink Talks to Bob the Worldbuilder (YouTube)
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If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.

Scratching Our Indie Game Itch(.io) | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Episode Introduction
Wizards of the Coast, D&D and the 5e SRD have been dominating the news lately. The whole situation has gotten people talking and thinking a lot more about cool indie games that shouldn't be overlooked. To get away from the 800-pound gorilla that is Dungeons and Dragons, Josh and Brandon picked out a few cool indie games from itch.io. One's about ghosts and another is about demons, so there's a definite trend starting, but they also talk about elder gods in a 1979 beach community, so there's that, too.
Let us know your favorite indie games at contact@goblinsandgrowlers.com or on Twitter.
Join our Discord: bit.ly/goblindiscord
Links!
This Discord Has Ghosts in It
Yokai Hunters Society
Wallet Dungeon
Moonlight on Roseville Beach
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If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.

OGL Counterspell! D&D Published SRD as Creative Commons | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Episode Introduction
Important stuff happening once again! Thanks to intense community backlash, Wizards of the Coast has changed their mind about creating a new, uber-draconian Open Gaming License designed to take the money of the hard-working third-party publishers who've been popularizing D&D since Fifth Edition came out.
They've gone a step further than a lot of us were expecting by releasing the 5E system reference document into Creative Commons, which makes it, essentially, public domain and irrevocable. Josh and Brandon get together on another Saturday afternoon to discuss this late-breaking news.
Has this been enough for you to stick with Wizards and D&D or are they going to take a while to earn back your trust? Whichever way you're leaning, this is a great time to broaden your horizons by exploring other systems. Hit us up at contact@goblinsandgrowlers.com or on Twitter to tell us where you've landed.
Join our Discord: bit.ly/goblindiscord
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.

Wizards of the Coast’s Open Gaming License Fumble w/Attorney Noah Downs | The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Episode Introduction
Well, a lot certainly happened while we were gone. All anyone's talking about is Wizards of the Coast trying to roll out the new Open Gaming License and, presumably, put a lot of third-party publishers out of business with the royalty clauses et al.
We invited attorney Noah Downs (@MyLawyerFriend pretty much everywhere) to talk through all the legal issues here, read between the lines of what Wizards is trying to accomplish, and predict where this will all end. Also, it was yet another opportunity for Noah to plug his podcast, "Forgotten Paths."
The day after we recorded this Wizards put out a statement walking back a ton of the things from the original OGL "leak." The statement was a lot of CYA, but it was worth us updating things. At the beginning of this episode, there's an update segment where Josh and Brandon talk about their release and what it means going forward.
Are you one of the many who canceled their D&D Beyond subscriptions? Are you actively looking at other systems for your games? Let us know at contact@goblinsandgrowlers.com!
Join our Discord: bit.ly/goblindiscord
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore 
https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM
https://twitter.com/MyLawyerFriend
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher)
https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play)
The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.